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The year 2021 promises to be huge for the Mac. Apple began the transition to Apple Silicon processors in the Mac last year with a new Mac mini, a new 13-inch MacBook Pro, and a new MacBook Air. Things are set to gain popularity this year, with rumor currently suggesting the first iMac redesign in a decade, new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, and more.
Here’s everything we expect from the Mac lineup and the Apple Silicon transition this year …
Apple has acknowledged that it will take around two years to transition the entire Mac lineup to Apple Silicon chips. The new Mac mini, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro are just the first three Apple Silicon Macs available. We expect the following Macs to be introduced slowly over the next two years until the transition is complete.
New iMac
One of the most anticipated Macs to transition to Apple Silicon is the iMac. The iMac received its last internal upgrade in August, but that update simply included new Intel processors inside, with the external design remaining unchanged.
In fact, the iMac is long overdue for an industrial overhaul. The outer chassis was last revised in 2012, when Apple released a new iMac case that tapers down to 5mm thick on the sides. But this design feature can only be seen from the side, and when viewed from the front, the iMac has remained unchanged for a decade.
Trusted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has repeatedly reported that Apple will release a redesigned iMac with a 24-inch display sometime in 2021. More recently, Bloomberg reported that Apple has two new iMacs in store for this year to replace the existing 21.5-inch and 27-inch models with a design similar to the Pro Display XDR.
“The iMac redesign will be one of the most important visual updates to any Apple product this year,” the report said, citing people familiar with Apple’s roadmap. This will include the removal of the lower “chin area”, as well as a flat back rather than the current curved design. Apple is said to have planned two versions to replace the existing 21.5 and 27 inch models “later this year”.
Earlier reports have indicated that Apple is developing a 24-inch iMac, which would theoretically replace the 21.5-inch model. Bloomberg does not specifically mention the screen sizes of the new iMac design, but simply states that there will be two versions to “replace” the existing 21.5-inch and 27-inch options.
New MacBook Pro
A version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro is already available with Apple Silicon inside, but it’s rather limited: two Thunderbolt ports, a maximum of 16GB of unified memory, and a maximum of 2TB of SSD storage. We expect Apple to transition from its high-end MacBook Pros next, and there’s a lot to look forward to.
First, multiple reports suggest Apple has a redesigned 14-inch MacBook Pro along the way. Kuo said it would be released in the second or third quarter of 2021. In November, Kuo doubled down on that claim and reported that MacBooks with “brand new form factors and industrial designs” would arrive in the second half of 2021.
Specifically, Kuo says Apple has a new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro lineup scheduled for release this year. The design changes will include square sides in the top and bottom halves of the machine, similar to the flat design of the iPad Pro and adopted in the iPhone 12 series.
The biggest design change of all, however, is that the Touch Bar would be done away with entirely, with Apple reverting to a physical row of function keys instead. It comes five years after Apple first introduced the Touch Bar in 2016, touting it as the future of the Mac input method.
Kuo also said the new MacBook Pro will include the return of MagSafe for charging, similar to technology used in pre-2016 MacBooks. The analyst adds that the 2021 MacBook Pros will also include more built-in IO ports, meaning most users won’t need to purchase additional dongles.
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New Mac Pro
The Mac Pro is one of the more mysterious products in the Apple lineup and it’s unclear where it stands on the Apple Silicon roadmap. More recently, Bloomberg reported that Apple had a new Mac Pro in the works that would be about half the size of the current Mac Pro design.
Interesting way, Bloomberg says the smaller Mac Pro might “invoke nostalgia for the Power Mac G4 Cube.” It would be powered by Apple Silicon inside.
The Mac Pro is harder to predict because it features an incredibly modular design, allowing users to mix and match components and upgrade individual parts. It’s unclear how Apple Silicon will be factored into this design. It’s also unclear whether the new Mac Pro will arrive in 2021 or elsewhere on the roadmap.
Mac mini
The current Mac mini M1 suffers from similar limitations as the 13-inch MacBook Pro and peaks at 16GB of memory and 2TB, and there are only two Thunderbolt ports on the back and no 10GB Ethernet. This is actually a downgrade from the previous generation Intel Mac mini, which Apple continues to sell today.
It’s possible Apple has a new Mac mini in-line with four Thunderbolt ports and other high-end specs, but we’ll have to wait to find out for sure.
More Mac Intel?
Finally, it is not known if Apple plans to release additional Macs using Intel processors. At WWDC last year, Apple said it had even more Intel Macs in the pipeline, but technically this has already been proven with the new iMacs introduced in August.
In response to a recent report from Ming-Chi Kuo, a reliable Twitter leaker L0vetodream said the redesigned form factor was “not just for Silicon,” but this post is rather cryptic and unclear. This could refer to Apple keeping the Intel Mac Pro due to its high level of customization.
In reality, Bloomberg reports that in addition to the half-size Mac Pro, Apple is also planning a version with the same design as the current Mac Pro that could continue to use Intel processors for the time being.
Summary: Apple Silicon in 2021
It’s clear 2021 is shaping up to be a major year for the Mac, ranging from the 14in MacBook Pro to a completely redesigned iMac lineup for the first time in a decade. It’s no guarantee that all of this new material will be released this year, but as it stands we have quite a bit in store for 2021.
What do you think of Apple’s ongoing transition to Apple Silicon in the Mac lineup? What are you most looking to try? Let us know in the comments!
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